Auburn's defensive struggles were on full display during their recent matchup against Oklahoma, as the Tigers faced a barrage of three-pointers that left them reeling. With a 91-79 loss, Auburn's defensive metrics continue to plummet, now ranked 112th nationally in KenPom's opponent-adjusted defensive rating and a staggering 304th in raw defensive rating.
The Sooners' impressive 13-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc highlighted a season-long issue for Auburn, who are allowing conference opponents to shoot 40.6% from deep. For the season, Auburn's opponents are hitting 37.1% of their threes, placing them 337th out of 365 teams nationally. This puts them at the bottom of the SEC, with a significant gap between them and the next team, LSU.
The question on everyone's mind is: why do teams keep finding success from downtown against the Tigers? Let's break down the Sooners' three-point attempts from Tuesday night.
First Attempt
Steven Pearl, reflecting on the game, noted the simplicity of the opening possession. Nijel Pack capitalized on a defensive miscue when Tahaad Pettiford stumbled after a switch with Kevin Overton, leading to an easy three.
In their 14 conference games, Auburn has allowed opponents to score on their opening possession nine times, including six out of the last seven games. Alarmingly, they've given up a three-pointer on the opening possession five times in the last nine games.
This translates to an average of 1.64 points allowed per opening possession in SEC play, which jumps to 2.29 in the last seven games. Only Arkansas failed to score on their first possession during this stretch.
“It’s like the sixth game, almost in a row, where we’ve just had a defensive mistake and they make a shot,” Pearl lamented after the loss.
Auburn's defensive lapses, especially early in games, have set a troubling tone, and addressing these issues will be crucial if they hope to turn their season around.